Fresh tomatillos look like small green tomatoes in papery husks, and they have a slightly tart flavor. If fresh ones are unavailable, use the canned variety. Salsa verde, a green salsa, is available in most supermarkets. I use less chili powder than usual in this recipe to try to retain as much of the green color of the chili as possible. If you prefer additional chili powder, add it according to taste. When Lori Maffei tested the recipe, we discussed how nice it would be to have white chili powder and—guess what? — she found some online! I haven’t tried it yet, but it sounds intriguing.
Course
Main Course, Soup
Cuisine
American
Keyword
chili verde, vegan chili
Yields4servings
AuthorRobin Robertson
Ingredients
1tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil or ¼ cup (60 ml) water
1medium-size yellow onion, chopped
3garlic cloves, minced
1large green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1medium-size zucchini, chopped
1 or 2jalapeño chiles, seeded and minced
1½cups(198 g) husked and chopped tomatillos, or 1 can (14 ounces, or 395 g) of tomatillos, drained and chopped
1cup(256 g) salsa verde
1 to 2tablespoons(8 to 15 g) chili powder
1teaspoondried oregano
1teaspoonground cumin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1½cups(355 ml) vegetable broth or water, plus more if needed
3cups(531 g) cooked Great Northern or other white beans or 2 cans (15.5 ounces, or 440 g each) of Great Northern or other white beans, rinsed and drained
1ripe Hass avocado, for serving
¼cupchopped fresh (4 g) cilantro or (15 g) Italian parsley, for serving
Instructions
Heat the olive oil or water in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, bell pepper, zucchini, and jalapeños. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatillos, salsa verde, chili powder, oregano, cumin, and salt and pepper to taste.
Add the broth and beans and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 40 minutes. Add more broth if the chili becomes too thick.
Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed. When ready to serve, pit, peel, and dice the avocado. Top each serving with avocado and cilantro and serve hot.